August 1st 2009 - Eastern 8/1/2009 The Eastern Caribbean Castaways

[MrsJobba1]

Hi Joy

I'll be making some door signs for this cruise

Here are the ones I made for out med cruise back in 2007

 

[MrsJobba1]

Looking back at my old door signs got me thinking -

What about giving our cruise a name? My 2007 cruise was called ROMEancing the mouse

Anyone got any suggestions?


Something with an Eastern theme perhaps?

 

[MrsJobba1]

How about breakfast for dinner and mickey head shaped pancakes? I love the paper chain idea.


More soon. I can't believe it's been so long since I posted.

I love the mickey shapes waffles they serve for breakfast on the ship-

 

[marcij]

Helen -- Congratulations on the competition! That is terrific news.

I always do magnets. I'm part of the original dissign thread but don't design much. I'll try to find what we have used in the past.

I have seen such cute FE's but i'm undecided as to if I want to order one, pack it etc. We aren't doing another dis cruise until 2010. Decisions, decisions...

 

[MrsJobba1]

Helen -- Congratulations on the competition! That is terrific news.

I always do magnets. I'm part of the original dissign thread but don't design much. I'll try to find what we have used in the past.

I have seen such cute FE's but i'm undecided as to if I want to order one, pack it etc. We aren't doing another dis cruise until 2010. Decisions, decisions...

Thanks Marci,

I think I'll start looking around for my gift bag contents -not sure exactly but I have some ideas.

I got my cruise planning package today so its happy reading.

 

[Momtoredheads]

Dear Maria,

Welcome! I can't speak for your kids, but this is our second cruise - both Disney. In 2007 our two kids - then 3 and 6 were ecstatic in the club. As for driving, although I don't know the south too well (I'm a PA yank) I've read on other threads that it is very easy to drive to port. There is SO much information on this board. There are lots of packing tips, driving directions - all kinds of stuff. Have fun!!

Thanks Joy!
I am VERY familiar with the boards as I used the other forums quite a bit when I was planning our first WDW trip in Oct. 2007. I just haven't been able to do a cruise until now!! We got an emailed pin which allowed kids to go free with two paying adults so we really couldn't pass it up. I am hoping a friend of mine and her daughter will come as well. Here I go with my neurotic packing!!!

 

[Momtoredheads]

Maria -- i'm so glad you joined our group! I have two boys, age 13 and 10. How old are yours?

Just ask away and I know someone on here will be able to give you advice or point you in the right direction.

Marci

Hi Marci,

Our girls are 5 and 3. I need to update the icons in our signature! I am really worried about being stuck with the late dining (we are on the waiting list for early) because the kids will be wiped out and beyond obnoxious by that time. Maybe I should just get them something quick earlier and deal with their impatience while we try to eat in peace. Any suggestions? Also, how does the dining work? I saw the Animator's Palate, Parrot Cay and Lumiere's. I knew that the restaurants are chosen for you (??) Can you switch reservations or are you just stuck? And the formal night and semiformal night...do they coincide with the "dressier" restaurants.

Thanks guys!!

Maria

 

[MrsJobba1]

Hi Marci,

Our girls are 5 and 3. I need to update the icons in our signature! I am really worried about being stuck with the late dining (we are on the waiting list for early) because the kids will be wiped out and beyond obnoxious by that time. Maybe I should just get them something quick earlier and deal with their impatience while we try to eat in peace. Any suggestions? Also, how does the dining work? I saw the Animator's Palate, Parrot Cay and Lumiere's. I knew that the restaurants are chosen for you (??) Can you switch reservations or are you just stuck? And the formal night and semiformal night...do they coincide with the "dressier" restaurants.

Thanks guys!!

Maria

Hi Maria - I can help with the dining question.

When you go to your stateroom on the ship you will find your dining tickets. On it you will see your table number and rotation. (you rotate round the 3 restauants keeping the same table number) Your wait staff go with you, so they know you really well. Your rotation might look something like plaplap which would mean parrot cay first, then lumieres then animators.

To be honest I dont think it matters which restaurant you end up in for the formal / semi formal as all the waitstaff are done up and its the same menu in all 3 restauants those nights.

The first time you are in animators they do the show - this is not repeated

I would recommend getting to the port early as you are able to change your reservations when you get on board (if you end up with late you might be able to switch) however its first come first served.

I hope this makes sense and it helps

Take care Helen x

 

[MrsJobba1]

105 days and counting

 

[Momtoredheads]

Thanks Helen! That makes much more sense to me now. We are planning on leaving Friday night and driving so that we get to Port Canaveral around 9am. I think my friend Trudy and her daughter, Hanna, will be coming as well. (We are working on getting their stateroom right now.) I am ready to bring out the suitcases!!!

Maria

 

[marcij]

Hi Marci,

Our girls are 5 and 3. I need to update the icons in our signature! I am really worried about being stuck with the late dining (we are on the waiting list for early) because the kids will be wiped out and beyond obnoxious by that time. Maybe I should just get them something quick earlier and deal with their impatience while we try to eat in peace. Any suggestions? Also, how does the dining work? I saw the Animator's Palate, Parrot Cay and Lumiere's. I knew that the restaurants are chosen for you (??) Can you switch reservations or are you just stuck? And the formal night and semiformal night...do they coincide with the "dressier" restaurants.

Thanks guys!!

Maria

oops -- i was in such a hurry i didn't even look at your sig. I think Helen is right on with what you can do to change dining. Our first cruise or two, I wanted to be in the dressier rest on dressy night, but I soon realized it really doesn't make any difference. I'd rather request (no guarantee of course) the latest early sitting to give myself a little more time.

Happy planning!

 

[joycsk]

Hi Marci,

Our girls are 5 and 3. I need to update the icons in our signature! I am really worried about being stuck with the late dining (we are on the waiting list for early) because the kids will be wiped out and beyond obnoxious by that time. Maybe I should just get them something quick earlier and deal with their impatience while we try to eat in peace. Any suggestions? Also, how does the dining work? I saw the Animator's Palate, Parrot Cay and Lumiere's. I knew that the restaurants are chosen for you (??) Can you switch reservations or are you just stuck? And the formal night and semiformal night...do they coincide with the "dressier" restaurants.

Thanks guys!!

Maria

Dear Maria,

Please know that YMMV, but my kids were close to your kids in age when we did the 4 day cruise in 2007. We took our kids to dinner on 3 of the four nights and ate at Palo on the last night. Looking back, I feel like it was a Huge mistake that we took them to dinner at all. My son was 3 at the time, and the dinners were Way too long and boring for him. Yes, they did have a coloring page for the kids, but that didn't last too long as entertainment. I think that we adults thought that AP was much cooler than our kids did. My 6 yr old did enjoy conga-ing around the restaurant at the end of our AP dinner, but I don't think it was worth her sitting there for 2 hours.

That said, if your kids are willing to stay in the club - I'm trying to remember, your youngest is 3 already? - the club takes them up for dinner at the buffet at 6 each night. (The club will also take kids to lunch - location varies) if you are on an excursion, etc. I'm planning to put my kids in the club for more dinners on this cruise. The kids enjoyed being with the other kids and not having to sit through what they considered to be a long and boring dinner.

Good luck!

 

[marcij]

Maria -- I think on our first cruise, my boys were 4 and 7. Our servers were really good about getting them fed in the first 30 minutes, and then one of us would check them in to the kids club, go back to the table, and enjoy the rest of our dinner. So, you might try what Joy suggested, and also know that if you talk to your servers, they will get your kids fed quickly and you could do dinner together as a family a couple of times.

 

[Momtoredheads]

Thanks Joy and Marci!

We are stuck with the late dining rotations and I figured we'd get them fed early at Pinocchio's or something in the highly likely event that our girls refuse to stay in the kids club. (just going from our experience on NCL--very frustrating for us). If they won't stay in the club on DCL, then there is no hope anywhere! We are on the waitlist for earlier but I am not holding my breath. I will definitely check into that when we arrive at the port as Helen suggested.

Maria

 

[MrsJobba1]

Hi Maria,

As Marci said - the servers are great and can wip through service for the children.

Dont forget you have the option of topsiders (although not every night)

On a night time it is not a buffet and you can get a nice sit down meal at the time of your choice. So you wont be stuck with Pinocchio's.

There are lots of options for you -thats whats great about disney.

Also on the first night your head server introduces him/herself to you. Make sure you share your concerns with him/ her as its there job to help you and they will try their up most to do this.

( The first 5 cruises we took we never hardly spoke to our headserver as we did not have a problem - on the med cruise we did speak to him and he really helped us)

 

[Momtoredheads]

Hi Maria,

As Marci said - the servers are great and can wip through service for the children.

Dont forget you have the option of topsiders (although not every night)

On a night time it is not a buffet and you can get a nice sit down meal at the time of your choice. So you wont be stuck with Pinocchio's.

There are lots of options for you -thats whats great about disney.

Also on the first night your head server introduces him/herself to you. Make sure you share your concerns with him/ her as its there job to help you and they will try their up most to do this.

( The first 5 cruises we took we never hardly spoke to our headserver as we did not have a problem - on the med cruise we did speak to him and he really helped us)

Thanks Helen! I guess I am just anticipating problems with the girls, knowing how HM they are. I even mentioned that we may be going on a Disney cruise yesterday and my oldest (Allison, 5) said she didn't want to go to the kids club because she wanted to be with us--even after I showed her pictures and told her about all the great activities. UGH!!!! SHe is not even open to making new friends and says she only wants her one friend, Hanna.

I will definitely voice my concerns to the waiter when we meet him/her, esp. if we are unable to get an earlier seating. I will try when we check in. When we check in at the desk (before boarding the ship) is when I should see about it, correct? I guess I need to not worry so much and not be so compulsive about planning. It's hard to do when you want everything to be just right, although there are no guarantees of course.


Maria

 

[lostatdisney]

I'm embarrassed to ask this question - I kept reading over posts to see if I could figure out the answer - but what is an FE?

Does anyone have teens going on this cruise? My boys are 15 and 17.

 

[Doingitagain]

I'm embarrassed to ask this question - I kept reading over posts to see if I could figure out the answer - but what is an FE?

Does anyone have teens going on this cruise? My boys are 15 and 17.

Hi, we are also on this cruise. Haven't had time to do much posting.

We are going with DD20 and DS17. FE are Fish Extenders, they hang outside your door and DISers coordinate putting gifts in them.

 

[lostatdisney]

Oh, okay, thanks! So do those who participate put gifts in for all the others who are participating? Or does another DISer put in gifts that you have already bought for your kids?

 

[MrsJobba1]

I'm embarrassed to ask this question - I kept reading over posts to see if I could figure out the answer - but what is an FE?

Does anyone have teens going on this cruise? My boys are 15 and 17.

Hi and welcome its great to have more diser's on the cruise

Hi, we are also on this cruise. Haven't had time to do much posting.

We are going with DD20 and DS17. FE are Fish Extenders, they hang outside your door and DISers coordinate putting gifts in them.

Welcome to you too

Oh, okay, thanks! So do those who participate put gifts in for all the others who are participating? Or does another DISer put in gifts that you have already bought for your kids?

For the FE -Barbara (MsLeFever) is organising a kids Fe for this cruise. If you would like to be involved send a PM to her. What happens is Barbara will collect info on cabin numbers then before we cruise give a list out and perhaps assign a day. When its your day you go round the ship and put a little gift into the peoples Fish extenders. Its a little surprise each day.


Also for our New comers (and to remind others) We are having a dis meet on embarkation day 3pm at the promenade lounge deck 3 Aft. This is just to say Hi and put faces to names. At the meet we are having a gift bag exchange- basically you bring 1 gift bag that kind of represents where you come from. When everyone is here we will put numbers on the bags and draw a raffle so that you get a different bag. We have people from all over and its great fun. Please come along and join us